Tension device and automatic take-up.



O. PARENT. TENSION DEVICE AND AUTOMATIC TAKE-UP.

APPLICATION FILED APR.16, 1913.

Patented 0ct.13,1914.

THE NORRIS PETERS c0 PHOTO-LITHOW WASHINGTON. n I

CHARLES PARENT, or MEDFORID, MASSACHUSETTS.

'rnivsron DEVICE AND AUroMArId aAKn-UP.

Application filed April 16, 1913. Serial No. 761,438.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES PARENT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Medford, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inTension Devices and Automatic Take-Ups, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to a tension device and automatic take-up especially intended for use in braiding machines, such for instance as used in braiding shoe strings or braiding a cover on a wire, but it 1s adapted to be used in other classes of machines.

. In the process of braiding as the racers travel around the race clrcles the distance between the thread holder and the point where one thread intersects another thread 1 varies constantly so that unless a suitable take-up is provided there will be frequent slack thread. Vith the take-ups in common use there is still frequently slack thread which the action of the take-ups is not quick enough to wholly prevent.

The'object of the present invention is to provide a quick acting take-up. which will constantly keep thev thread under proper' tension.

The mvention Wlll. be fully understood from the following descriptio-ntaken in connection with the accompanying drawings,

and the novel features thereof will be pointed out and clearly defined'in theclai-ms at the'close of this specification. I

In the dra'wmgs,-F1gurex1 1s a side elevation partly in section showing my improved tension device and take-upco-nnected with a race plate ofa braiding mavehine,'showin-g the parts in position when the thread is under working tension. Fig.

- 2 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1, omitting the connection with the race plate, showing the spool of thread partly used 2 up and with the take-up attachment in the position that it will be in when the pull on the thread is relaxed. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view partly in section of the take-up device in its normal position when not under strain. Fig. 4: is a sidev elevation of the take-up device under part tension, showing thelower thread arm in its turnedposition as it will be before the full tension is applied to turn the other arm. Fig. 5 is a section on line 55 55 of Fig. 8. I

base 5 of the frame or holder.

Inthe drawings, l is a strand of thread running from a 00112 whlch is wound upon a bobbin 3 mounted on a spindle 4. The strand 1 is threaded through the .tension device which is to be explained hereinafter and thence to the point where it is to be Specification of Letters Patent. Patented 13 19.14;.

bralded up with the other strands of thread coming from other bobbins. The spindle 4 1s mounted in a frame or holder having a base 5 and a top 6to receive the two ends of the spindle, the top 6 and the base 5 being tied together by a back 7. The top 6 is pref erably hinged as at 8 r to the vback 7 so that it may be turned up on its hinge to allow the bobbin, to be removed."- The.

back 7 of the frame is secured toa racer 9 which travels in the-racev circle or pathin the race plate 10. The racer 9 is provided with flanged heads'l, 14: to retain it in the race path. In the form of 1 construction shown the race plate is in a vertical plane, but the plane of the race whether vertical or horizontal is not essential tothe present invention. The bobbin is somewhat shorter than the distance between the top 6 and Saucer shaped heads or flanges 11 12 are mounted loosely on the spindle at each end of the bob bin, the concave faces of the said heads be ing toward and resting against the ends of the race of thread 2. Between the upper head 11 and the top 6ofthe holder there is v a saucer shaped spring metal disk or washer 13 which by pressure'onthehead llholds the said head 11 in. engagement with the end of the roll of thread and presses the other endof the roll into' engagement with the head 12. On account of the concave form of the said heads 11, 12, itfis obvious that the bearing of the heads on the ends ofthe roll of thread will be in a circular lineuat the periphery of the roll and that as the roll is diminished in diameter the circular bearing line will diminish in diameter and therefore'be nearer and nearer to the center of the head. This allows the head 11 to settle or be pressed farther down over the end of the 1 I roll so that the end of the roll is nearer the top of the concavity. The lower end of the roll will also enter correspondingly farther into the concavity of the head 12.

The spring washer 13 is normally concave.

VVhen' the bobbin is full as in Fig.1, so

that the heads 11, 12 are the most widelyz" separated fromeach other, the washer 13 head 11, and the spring washer becomes The heads 11, 12-

more and more concave. should preferably be rigid so as not to change their degree of concavity. The pressure of the spring washer against the head 11 and against the top 6 of the holder caused by the tendency of the washer to assume a more and more concave form produces a friction between the spring washer and the top 6 and therefore serves as a brake to prevent too easy a turning of the bobbin on the spindle. As the coil of thread becomes smaller and smaller and the spring washer becomes more and more concave the tension decreases and therefore the drag on the rotation of the bobbin decreases. This is an advantage because the bobbin naturally rotates more freely when'full and less freely as it diminishes in diameter by being drawn 0E and for this reason it is desired to have the tension of the spring washer greatest whenthe natural tendency of the thread is to run easiest so that one shall diminish as the other increases.

A shaft 15 extends from the top 6 to the base 5 of the holder, being mounted therein, preferably fixed so as not to rotate; Mounted on the said shaft 15 are two sleeves 16, 17, placed end to end with relation to each other, preferably of about equal length and meeting each other at or about the middle of the shaft. or provided with an arm 18, preferably bent so that at first it extends at right angles to the sleeve 16, then a portion 19 toward the top plate and parallel with the sleeve, then again a portion 20 extending at ri ht angles tegral with its sleeve.

- in its connection with the sleeve 17 To this end it is provided with a split hub 2% through which the sleeve 17 passes, the arm 21 being also formed with a slit 25. By means of a screw 26 the split hub 21- may be turned on the sleeve 16 to adjust its position and then by setting up the screw again the hub will be held firmly in its adjusted position. A coil spring 27 surrounds the The lower sleeve 16 is formed sleeves 16, 17 between the arms 18, 21, one end of the spring being secured to the arm 18 andthe other end of the spring being secured to the arm 21. By changing the adjustment of the hub 2%, and therefore the radial direction of the arm 21, the tension of the spring will be adjusted to a greater or less tens1on, as desired. Preferably the sleeves 16, 17 are reduced in diameter at the portions which are surrounded by the spring 27. A sleeve 28' envelops the spring 27 to protect it and keep it free from dirt.

Projecting from the sleeve 17 is an arm 29 which normally engages a stop pin 30 which projects from the top 60f the holder.

An arm 31 projects from the sleeve 16 and normally engages a stop pin 32 which projects from the base 5 of the holder. he tension of the spring 27 normally holds the arm 29 in engagement with the stop 30, and holds the arm 31 in engagement with the stop 32. I The sleeve 17 with its arm 21 and thesleeve 16 with its arm 18 may be turned or rocked on the shaft 15, but one of said sleeves with its arm ml y turn independently of the turning of the other sleeve and its arm. as shown in Fig. 2 with both stop arms 29, .31 in engagement with their respective stop .pins 30, a2. i

The device is threaded up when the parts z are in their normal position, its thread passing from the roll 2 around-the sleeve 28, thence through the eye of the thread arm 23, thence back around the sleeve 28 in the reverse on The normal position of thearms is der from' the first turn around the said sleeve, thence through the eye of the thread between it and the braiding joint, the lower arm, 18, will respond first to the pull of the spring in attempting to return to its normal position, as shown in Fig. 1, then as the dis tance still further shortens, the arm 21 will swing back to its normal position, as shown in Fig. 2, the slack being taken up by the winding of the thread around the take-up as shown in Fig. 2. I

It is necessary that there should be sufli cient tension on the spool or roll of thread to prevent its turning under the draft of the thread until the draft of the thread has i turned at least one of the thread arms 18, 20

around from the position shown in Fig. 2

to-the position shown in Fig. 4 or Fig. 1. This tension is produced by the spring washer 13.

What I claim is: j 1. In combination with a bobbin, a holder for the bobbin, a tension device to prevent thread, said last tension device causing the said take-up to move in the reverse direction to take up slacklin the thread, said take-up tension at all times during the draft of the thread being ofless strength than the tension on th bobbin whereby the draft on the thread will not rotate the bobbinuntil the take-up arm has moved far enough to take up the slack, the continued draft of the thread then rotating the bobbin while the bobbin tension still remains greater than the tension on the take up arm.

i 9. In combination with a bobbin, a holder for the bobbin, a tension device to prevent too free rotation of the bobbin, two rotary thread arms rotating on an axis parallel with the axis of the bobbin and both adapted to be threaded with braiding thread and tension mechanism which is adapted to rotate said arms in opposite directions to each other. v

3. 'In combination with a bobbin, a holder for the bobbin, a tension device to prevent too free rotation of the bobbin, two rotary arms having thread eyes, and which when threaded up are turned in opposite directions by the draft of the thread, a spring which is put under tension by the rotation of either of said arms under the draft of the thread, and which when the draft on the thread is relaxed turns said arms backward in opposite directions to each other and takes up the slack of the thread.

4:. In a braiding machine, a bobbin, two rotary thread arms rotating on an axis parallel with the axis of the bobbin and both adapted to be threaded with the braiding thread and tension mechanism which is adapted to rotate said arms in opposite directions to each other.

5. In a braiding machine, a bobbin, two rotary arms rotating on an axis parallel with the axis of the bobbin and having thread eyes, and which when threaded up are turned in opposite directions by the draft of the thread,- a spring which is'put under tension by the rotation of either of said arms under the draft of the thread, and which when the draft on the thread is relaxed turns said arms backward in opposite directions to each other and takes up the slack of the thread. I

6. Ina braiding machine, a shaft, two

sleeves mounted loosely ontsaid shaft and adapted to rotate thereon independently of each other, ather'ad arm having a thread eye projecting from each of said sleeves and rotating with the sleeves, both of said thread arms. being rotated by the draft on the thread when threaded through said thread arms, a coil spring connected with each thread arm whichis'put under greater ten-- sion by the rotation of either thread arm under the pull of the thread and which slackens its tension whenvthe draft on the thread is slackened, thereby rotating he said thread arm in the reverse direction and tak ing up the slack in the thread, and stops which limit the backward turn of the thread arms.

7 In a braiding machine, a shaft, two sleeves mounted loosely on said shaft and adapted to rotate thereon, a thread arm having a thread eye projecting fronr each of said sleeves, said thread arms being adapted to be threaded up so that the draft v of the thread will rotate said sleeves and thread arms in opposite directions, a coil spring one end of which is connected with one of said arms and the other end of which is connected with the other-of said arms and which is put under tension by the rotation of either or both of said arms under the pull of the thread, said'spring actuating the reverse rotation of said arms when the pull of the thread is relaxed thereby taking up any tendency of the thread to slacken. I

8. In a braiding machine, a shaft, two sleeves mounted loosely on said shaft and adapted to rotate thereon independently of each other, a thread arm" having a thread;

eye projecting from each ofsaid sleeves and rotating with the sleeves and which are rotated by the draft on the thread when threaded through said thread arms, a coil 1 spring connected with each thread arm which is put under greater tension bythe rotation of either thread arm under the pull of the thread and which slackens its tension when the draft on the thread is slackened thereby rotating the said thread arm in the reverse direction and taking up the slack in the thread, stops which limit. the backward turn of the thread arms, and means for adjusting the radial direction of one of said armswith relation to the other whereby the initial tension of the spring may be varied.

9. In a braiding machine, a shaft, two sleeves mounted loosely on said shaft and adapted to rotate thereon'independently of each other, a thread arm having a thread eye projecting from each of said sleeve-s and rotating with the sleeves both of said thread arms being rotated by the draft on the thread when threaded through said thread arms, a coil spring"connected with each thread arm which is put under greater tension by the rotation of either thread arm under the pull of the thread and which slackens its tension when the draft on the thread is slackened, thereby rotating the said thread arm in the reverse directionand taking up the slack in the thread, stops which limit the backward turn of the thread arms, and a sleeve which incloses said spring.

' 10. In a machine of the character described, in combination with a bobbin and a holder therefor, two rotary thread arms so arranged that they may both be threaded up with the same thread from the bobbin, and so arranged that the draft of the thread may turn said thread arms in opposite directions to each other, and tension mechamsin which prevents the said bobbin from rotating under the draft ofthe thread until at least one of said arms has first been turned.

-ll. In a machine of the character described, in combination with a bobbin and a holder therefor, two thread arms so arranged that they may both bethreaded up with the same thread from the bobbin on its passage to the braiding point, at least one of said arms being rotatable, said thread arms being so arranged that the draft of the thread will turn said rotatable thread arm, and tension mechanism which preventssaid bobbin from rotating under the draft of the thread until said rotatable arm has first been turned from its normal position.

12. In combination with a bobbin for a roll of thread, a spindle for the bobbin, a holder having bearings for the spindle in which the spindle rotates, a tension device to prevent too free rotation of the bobbin, a movable take-upv arm having an eye through which the thread passes from the bobbin and which is moved in one direction by the draft of the thread from the bobbin, and a tension device for the take-up which is put under greater tension by the movement of said takeaip arm caused by the draft of the thread.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES PARENT;

WVitnesses WILLIAM A. COPELAND, Anion H. MORRISON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing'the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G. 

